ABOUT OPENING WEEKEND

• After losing a game to rain on the opening weekend, Millersville baseball is taking advantage of the unseasonably pleasant weather by adding three home games on Friday and Saturday. Millersville's 2023 home debut arrives three weeks early with a nine-inning game against Jefferson Friday. On Saturday, the Marauders host a doubleheader against Chowan. It is the earliest on the calendar that Millersville has ever played a home game, and the first time Cooper Park has ever hosted a game in the month of February. 
• Millersville, ranked No. 19 by the NCBWA and No. 34 in the Collegiate Baseball Poll, took two of three from Barton last weekend. Millersville scored 16 runs in the two victories and did not allow more than four in any of the three games. Friday is the season opener for Jefferson. The Rams were not scheduled to start its season until Feb. 23. Chowan opened its season on Feb. 4 at Limestone, dropping all three games. Chowan will also play at Goldey-Beacom on Friday before visiting the Marauders on Saturday. 

SCOUTING THE MARAUDERS

• Leadoff hitter Jimmy Losh picked up in 2023 right where he left on in 2022. Losh went 5-for-14 with a .400 OBP at Barton. He also went 2-for-2 on stolen bases. NCBWA Preseason All-America selection Bren Taylor went 2-for-7 but drew seven walks for a .667 OBP in the opening series. John Seibert hit the team's lone homer of the weekend and also led the team in runs with three. The Marauders drew 18 walks in the three games and also showed a willingness to run, swiping 10 bases in 12 tries. 
• Millersville's pitching staff held Barton to a .198 batting average and struck out 30 batters compared to 18 hits and 10 walks. The bullpen was particularly impressive. Garet Blankenbiller, Carson Kulina, Matthew Williams, Evan Rishell, Sam Morris and Harry Prince combined for 15 innings pitched and allowed just one earned run, striking out 23 while walking two. Kulina was named the NCBWA Atlantic Region Pitcher of the Week for his 4 1/3 shutout innings in the opener.   
   

SCOUTING OPPONENTS

• Jefferson posted a 26-21 overall record and went 15-9 in conference play with two wins in the CACC Tournament in 2022. That followed a 2021 season in which the Rams posted a 23-11 record and finished as the CACC runner-up. Jefferson was voted second in the CACC South Division Preseason Poll behind Wilmington. Jem Sisco was the top arm for the Rams last season, posting a 1.96 ERA in 55 innings. Chris McLean was the top hitter as a sophomore in 2022, batting .364 with a team-high 11 home runs and .467 OBP. 
• Chowan's last winning season came in 2018, and the Hawks are coming off an 8-33 record last season. They've lost 17 consecutive road games dating back to the 2021 season. Noah Evington was the top performer in the opening weekend, going 4-for-10 with a double and three RBIs. On the mound, Nicky Wohleking did not allow an earned run in 5 2/3 innings, and Shane Rademacher struck out nine without a walk in six shutout innings. 

SERIES HISTORY

• Jefferson, previously called Philadelphia University, and Millersville first met in 1967. The teams have not played since 2016, and Millersville has won six in a row. Jefferson's last win over Milersville was by a 5-3 score on March 9, 2013.
• Millersville holds a slight 11-8 advantage over Chowan with the first meeting in 2007. The teams have not played since 2014, and Millersville had won five of the previous six and three in a row prior to that. Every meeting in the series was played at Chowan's home park, so Saturday marks Chowan's first-ever visit to Millersville.